Fulfilling your equestrian goals without a horse trailer is difficult. Your facility might be the best one going, but to really stretch your wings, it’s good to get out in the rest of the world. Even if you’re happy staying put, medical emergencies and natural disasters might force you out on the road. Borrowing trailers from friends and begging rides off stablemates can only go on so long, but the questions remain: How do you go about buying a trailer? Do you buy your tow vehicle or the trailer first? Is one trailer much the same as the other? And where do you begin to look?

Tom Scheve, co-author with his wife, Neva, of The Complete Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer, and co-designer of Equispirit Trailers, has made it his life’s work to educate horse owners on the importance of choosing the correct trailer. He says although it’s true that a horse trailer is really just a box on wheels, there are many things to consider before you begin your search. Scheve says many people fall at the first hurdle when a few simple answers are all it takes to help point the way toward the best fit.

First Considerations

A good match is extremely important when hauling horses. The animals must fit inside the trailer and the tow vehicle must be the correct size to tow that trailer. It seems clear, but Tom says matching up the equipment is where most mistakes are made.

Mistake #1–Putting the trailer before the horse. Your horse’s size should be your first consideration, as one-size-fits-all is extremely rare in horse trailers. There is a big difference between a 14-hand horse and an 18-hand horse, and butt/chest bars and dividers can only be adjusted so much. The average large horse needs 10 feet of stall length and approximately three feet of width (a six-foot-wide trailer). A larger horse needs more, up to 11 feet of stall length. The larger horse also needs extra width and height